Liquid dispensing container with bellows



LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER WITH BELLOWS Filed Sept. 21, 1965 James U. STEM/n27- IXVENTOR.

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A TOQNEVS United States Patent 3,341,083 LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER WITH BELLOWS James U. Stewart, 1151 Macy St., Whittier, Calif. 90603 Filed Sept. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 489,012 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-209) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The application discloses a dispensing container having an integral or joined bellows for pressurizing the interior to expel air across a liquid dispensing tube in the container.

This invention has to do generally with dispensing containers in which the contained material, usually a liquid, is dispensed in spray form by increasing the pressure of the air within the container above atmospheric by squeezing and thus deforming the container in'order to force the liquid out through a discharge tube and simultaneously discharge air therewith to break up the liquid into small droplets.

In recent years thin-walled plastic containers or bottles have been widely used as dispensing containers for liquids to be sprayed therefrom by squeezing the container. However, such devices have not proved entirely satisfactory, since considerable proficiency and strength is required to squeeze the bottle in a manner to produce a good spray pattern. In this connection it may be pointed out that much of the original squeezing action is ineffective, since the bottle must first be deformed until it is in a shape which permits adequate compression of the air therein, and by then the operators fingers are often in an awkward uncomfortable position so that further squeezing of the bottle is difficult. Also, repeated operations are very fatiguing.

Another difliculty is that, when a bottle is full of liquid, or nearly so, there is not suflicient air in the bottle to create a spray-type discharge, and a solid stream of liquid results.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to povide a new and improved container adapted to hold a liquid to be sprayed therefrom by hand which overcomes the objections noted above of the ordinary squeeze bottle type of spray dispensing container.

A further object is to provide a flexible plastic container for use in dispensing liquid as a spray or in other desired form embodying a collapsible bellows section which can be easily manipulated to quickly raise the pressure of the air within the container and effect a satisfactory forceful discharge of the liquid through the outlet provided.

Another object is to provide a device of the type indicated in which the flexible collapsible portion or section can be embodied as a part of the over-all device either by molding it as an integral portion thereof or by molding it separately and subsequently attaching it.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawing and the following descriptions. Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a device embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the upper portion of the device of FIG. 1, but on a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of FIG. 2, but on a slightly larger scale;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a bottle embodying another form of the invention; and

3,341,083 Patented Sept. 12, 1967 FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the bellows and adjacent wall section of the article.

More particularly describing the invention, referring first to FIGS. 1-3, numeral 11 generally indicates a dispensing container, having a hollow body or main portion 12 shown as being generally cylindrical and having a side wall 13 and end walls 14 and 15. The upper end wall 15 is formed to provide a neck 16 which is shown as having an external screw thread 17 to accommodate a cap 18. The cap serves as a spray fitting, being provided with an upwardly projecting tubular section 20 having a discharge opening 21. This communicates with a depending tube 22 which is fitted in the cap and extends to the bottom portion of the container. In order to create a spray type of discharge, the cap has an air discharge passage 23 in communication with the discharge opening 21. The cap may have a closure or auxiliary cap 24 adapted to snap into place and connected by a web 25 of the same material.

Preferably the container body is formed of a moldable plastic, such as polyethylene, although it may be made of any suitable material. The container need not be flexible as in the case of the ordinary plastic spray or squeeze bottles.

In order to provide for spraying or forcibly discharging the contents, such as a liquid 26, and air from the interior of the container body, I provide a bellows member 27 on the body near the upper end thereof. The bellows member is formed of a plastic or other material which is resiliently flexible and, in the form shown, includes two side walls, designated 28 and 29, which are connected by a wall 30 which is formed of a plurality of wall sections 31 and 32 connected by reverse folds 33 and 34.

Bellows member 27 is shown as having a short tubular neck section 35 which fits in an opening 36 in the side wall 13 of the container body near the upper end thereof.

Various means may be used for attaching the bellows member 27 to the container body or it may be molded therewith. In the form shown the section 35 is provided with an external flange 37 which fits against the inner surface of the wall 13. The parts may be further secured by solvent or cement.

In the operation of the device it will be apparent that with the closure cap 24 open the liquid 26 and air can be forcibly discharged from the container very readily by a person compressing the bellows 27 and, where the container body is of a size which may be grasped in the hand, the bellows can be readily operated by the thumb. It will be appreciated that the bellows immediately supplies air to the air space 38 in the upper end of the container and that the compressed air thereby serves to effect the discharge of the liquid, while, at the same time, a stream of air escapes through passage 23 to atomize and propel the escaping liquid.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, I show another form of the invention, designated generally 40, wherein the container body 41 includes a lower main section which for convenience has been shown as cylindrical and designated 42. Above this the container is provided with an elongated gooseneck-like neck 43 which is of reduced cross-sectional area with respect to the body 42 and which also is preferably of reduced cross-sectional area in the region intermediate its ends, thereby affording a portion which is easy for a person to grip by hand. The upper end of the neck has a tubular extension 44 which is externally threaded to accommodate a cap 18, such as previouslydescribed. It may be assumed that this container is also provided with a discharge tube 22. If desired, some other type of discharge fitting may be provided.

In this form of the invention, a bellows member 45 is shown as an integral part of the remainder of the device,

all of which may be of a suitable resiliently flexible plastic, such as polyethylene, and it is contemplated that both the container body and the bellows be molded at the same time as by blow molding or other process. However, if desired, the bellows member may be made separately and. attached as in the manner previously described or by means of a screw-threaded joint.

In this form of the invention the bellows member is generally cylindrical and is disposed substantially normal to the adjacent wall of the container. The bellows member includes a fiat outer wall 46 and a generally circular wall portion 47 of bellows-like configuration having wall sections 48 and 49 connected by alternate reversely directed folds 50 and 51. The bellows member has an inner wall 52 and this terminates in a short tubular section 53 which joins with the neck 43 of the container body.

It will be appreciated that the device can be readily operated by a person grasping the neck of the bottle and the bellows member in the manner shown in FIG. 4 where a persons hand has been shown in broken lines.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred form of my invention, I contemplate that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the following claim.

I claim:

In a dispensing container, a hollow container body including a relatively large lower main section adapted to hold liquid to be dispensed and an upper gooseneck-like neck of reduced diameter, a dispensing tube in said container body open to the exterior at its upper end and extending to the bottom portion of the lower section, a generally cylindrical bellows on said neck of the container body extending substantially normal to the adjacent wall of the neck whereby to enable a person to operate the bellows by grasping the neck and bellows in his hand, said bellows being open to the interior of the neck but otherwise closed, said container body having an air escape passage in the region of the outlet of said tube.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 301,146 7/1884 Park 222209 469,112 2/ 1892 Atkinson 222209 X 762,299 6/1904 Fulton 222209 X 3,214,066 10/ 1965 Shirley et al. 222-209 3,255,933 6/ 1966 Martin 222209 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH N. LEIMER, Examiner. 

